Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai in the desert and they camped there. By command, Moses goes up the mountain to speak with the LORD, (YHWH, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, Elohim), who dictates demands for the people. The rules imparted makeup the Decalogue, a list of religious and moral laws by …
My feature photograph of the juicy hamburger was chosen for a psychological reason — so what kind of reaction did it receive from you? Does it make you hungry, happy, or is it unpleasant or distasteful? Do you see an acceptable and tasty choice for dinner, or a disgusting selection? Those emotions, among others, are …
John the Evangelist (6 AD – 100 AD), one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, received a vision while exiled on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. That vision resulted in the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon — The Revelation to John (or Book of Revelation). This last book of …
It appears, if current reports are accurate, that the rumors of war may be approaching a definite confrontation in the near future. We hope not, but even if it can be delayed for a while, war will come, having been prophesied in the Bible (see Matthew 24:6-7). Although not fully exposed by the government controlled …
Nearly a year and a half ago, I wrote about how fast things in the world are changing and that each day seems to be worse than the previous one. “Where is this world headed?” I rhetorically asked. The quarantine and social distancing, brought about by the current viral pandemic, had become not a protection, …
“I don’t cuss!” The word ‘cuss’, of course, is a synonym for curse; you know, when someone communicates, either by speech or writing, using profane language. Although profanity was once considered offensive, today most people accept it is normal. But, if no longer offensive, there sure are many descriptive words and terms which mean the …
I’ve heard many secular statements explaining ‘evil’, but I will use a biblical source for the Christian definition. A Bible dictionary states that evil is “the presence of corruption, malevolence and depravity in the world, opposed to God’s nature and will. Scripture stresses that evil is a force in its own right, rather than the …
It is impossible, in our world today, not to observe that evil is increasing. We see violence, resistance, and disagreement everywhere — on television, in newspapers, in towns and neighborhoods, and even within families. Evil is everywhere on planet earth; we see evil people and situations all around us and most have actually experienced it …
Everyone has a guardian angel, right? You know, an invisible heavenly spirit being from God that shadows us throughout this human existence and runs interference during the rough times in our lives. If true, I imagine some of them must have a boring existence, while others (like mine) have a very rough time, trying to …
The phrase, “something wicked this way comes,” is from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.1 It is spoken by one of the three witches in Act 4, Scene 1, when she speaks of the war hero, Macbeth. By enticement and his own doing, he has become a monster of a man, because of his political ambition. These witches …